Bobcats run over FDU before NECs

By Kyle Brennan, QBSN Staff Writer

HAMDEN — It might have been just what Tom Moore and Quinnipiac wanted, and they got it.

The Bobcats used a 26-2 run that stretched from the end of the first half to the beginning of the second and four starters scored in double figures as Quinnipiac beat Fairleigh Dickinson, 71-60, Saturday at the TD Bank Sports Center in its final tune-up before next week’s NEC tournament.

Moore lauded his team’s intensity and solid play in all facets of the game.

“It’s always encouraging and uplifting to a head coach when he feels like his team is sorta complete,” the fourth-year Quinnipiac head coach said. “You wanna shine in three phases—you want to be good offensively, good defensively, good rebounding.”

Quinnipiac (21-8, 13-5 NEC) got the job done offensively, especially during its 26-2 run that blew the game open.

The Bobcats trailed, 26-20, with 4:24 left in the first half before senior guard Deontay Twyman made a layup and a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to two with 3:31 to play.

Senior forward Justin Rutty gave Quinnipiac its first lead since the 12:14 mark of the half on a 15-footer, making it 27-26 with 1:18 left in the first. He upped the lead to 31-28 with a pair of put-backs, including a tip-in off a missed 3-pointer by freshman guard Dominique Langston just before time expired.

Quinnipiac continued its 11-2 run to end the half with a 15-0 run out of the locker room, started again by a layup and a transition 3-pointer by Twyman. Freshman guard Lance Brown, who added 12 points and seven rebounds, contributed three buckets during the spurt to make it a 46-28 QU lead.

“A lot of times the first four minutes of the second half is what possibly determines the game,” said Twyman, who finished with 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists. “Coach talked to us and we wanted to jump on them fast and wanted to hold them down and we did that.”

Fairleigh Dickinson (5-24, 3-15 NEC), led by senior guard Mike Scott and his game-high 27 points, started 5-of-6 from long range and led by as many as six. But that was before the Bobcats buckled down on defense, which Moore thought helped spur the 26-2 run that lasted 9:45.

“The thing I liked most about our offense is that it was generated by our defense,” said Moore, who especially liked his team’s 21 assists on its 29 field goals. “We looked like a hungry defensive team and then we looked like a hungry transition team. Our defense fueled our offense.”

Junior guard James Johnson, who scored 13 points with six rebounds and four assists, was in the middle of several successful transitions, either making a steal to start fast breaks or dishing to open shooters.

“We just wanted to dig in and play defense,” Johnson said. “We just wanted to play our brand of defense and be more focused on edges and screens. We wanted to dig down and play harder.”

The Bobcats finished the regular season winning nine of 10 and earned the No. 2 seed in next week’s NEC tournament. Quinnipiac will host No. 7 Mount St. Mary’s Thursday at 7 p.m. The teams split during the regular season with each team winning on its home court.

There won’t be any questions about Rutty, who led the team Thursday with 14 points and 10 rebounds, giving him 999 career boards. The reigning NEC Player of the Year said his previously injured elbow is “fine.”

The rest of the team feels fine, too, and is ready for revenge in the postseason.

“We always think about last year and how we were so close and didn’t make it,” Johnson said. “We’re that much more confident and know what it takes to win.”